How The R&A is driving sustainability at major golf events

The R&A’s sustainability policies cover all aspects of the organisation and their championships holistically.

Their aim is to ensure a 50% reduction in Scopes 1 and 2 emissions by 2030.

• Scope 1 – direct emissions – covering fuel combustion (gas boilers, fleet vehicles) and on-site activities, which are prioritized for elimination.
• Scope 2 – indirect emmissions – focuses on cutting indirect greenhouse gases from purchased electricity, heat, and steam.

To do this, they are analysing their transport emissions, waste, water and energy usage in alignment with SBTi frameworks.

Owen highlights that when the organisation moves to their new purpose built Global HQ (certified as ‘excellent’ by BREEAM), this will reduce day-to-day emissions significantly.

Owen said: “Working with our event supplier Aggreko, we have managed a 93% reduction in carbon emissions generated through on-site energy production by switching to HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) in our generators.”

Other steps taken at The R&A’s championships include:

• Solar powered contractor compounds – completely powering building and de-rigging phases of events.
• Using recyclable/repurposed materials – reducing reliance on virgin materials (materials extracted directly from nature for the first time).
• Open Water Initiative – removing single-use plastic bottles from their operation has eradicated 12 tonnes of plastic waste since 2019.

Understanding the impact actions can have on local nature is key to delivering an environmentally friendly and sustainable event.

Owen said: “Our ‘Golf fore Nature’ campaign has now mapped the ecology at all our venue sites, giving us an amazing insight in to how our activities need to change to benefit nature. We use a team of ecologists to guide our activity on site, ensuring ground nesting birds (for example) are always protected, and our spectator routings change to the benefit of local ecology.”

The R&A also run regular nature-based activities at their championships that support nature, such as bird box painting. “At Royal Porthcawl in 2025 we painted 53 bird boxes, which have been donated to sites across Wales.”